Firefox 4 beta 9 arrives, final release expected for February

Mozilla has released the ninth beta of Firefox 4. Another beta will be issued …

Mozilla has announced the availability of the ninth beta of Firefox 4. The new version of the browser is relatively mature at this stage of the development cycle, the focus is largely on optimization and bug fixing. In a statement at the official Mozilla blog, the organization indicates that this beta is ready for more widespread testing.

Indeed, I've been running it as my day-to-day browser since the start of December and have found the stability satisfactory. The substantial feature improvements and noticeable performance boost relative to previous versions make Firefox 4 appealing, though it still doesn't quite match Chrome's smoothness or responsiveness on my Linux desktop computer.

The add-on compatibility situation is pretty good at the moment, but there are some major ones that haven't been fully updated yet. For example, the version of the popular Stylish add-on that is hosted at AMO doesn't work past Firefox 4.0 beta 2. To use Stylish and other add-ons that are similarly in limbo, you have to either use a tool to override the version requirements or poke around on the add-on developer's own website to find compatible test builds.

Mozilla tends to take the "when it's ready" approach to release management rather than locking itself into a narrow schedule. The organization is whittling down the remaining bugs and appears to be on track for a February release. Another beta is expected to arrive prior to the first release candidate.